My Little Monster
by dora06
Summary: A brief look into Edward and Bella's life after tragedy strikes their family. How do you continue on when your life is destroyed? ALL HUMAN


**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns the wonderful characters of Edward and Bella**

**A/N: Just something short and rather sad. I was nearly crying when I wrote this because the piece of music I was listening to was very moving. Clint Mansell- The Last Man. You should all look it up... its BRILLIANT!**

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My Mother heard it on the radio. The girl's body was found at 5.30 when her father returned home from work; face down in the family's swimming pool, the gate wide open. The four year olds babysitter had been under the assumption that she was asleep in her room. The report had stated that this tragic death had taken place at the family home on the western coast and that the girl's parents whom were going through a divorce could not comment at this time. The age of the girl, the place where the tragedy had taken place, the couple going through a divorce- these were all things that currently resembled my own personal life. I guess I could justify my mother's reaction to the news.

I'd already told her that Emmy would be at Edward's place down on the coast for the week. Normally we would just rotate weekends between us but since he was on holidays this week I thought Emmy should spend some time with him.

My mother was now telling me to pick up my phone and ask him how she was. My mother didn't believe that Edward could care for Emily without me present. For some unknown reason my mother's generation had trouble linking together the ideas of "father" and "child".

'Mother, she's fine. Edward had her call me about an hour ago to tell me all about her day. I can give you his new number if you'd like.' Normally I never call her Mother but I was short with her. She didn't believe me and she was babbling.

Edward had taken her to the beach. It was much too cold to go into the water this time of the year so the pair of them had spent the day collecting seashells to decorate the sand castles that they had made together. They also spent the afternoon chasing waves and then stopped at the ice-creamery before heading home. It had always been our family tradition to draw a line in the sand with a piece of driftwood and then try and chase the waves, running back towards and beach whenever they came too close and then going and getting and ice-cream to cool off. Bubble gum had been Cooper's favourite. I would always laugh at him when he would get back in the car and have a green ring around his mouth. Emily wouldn't remember days like this. She had only been a toddler at the time but we used to do this every weekend without fail. Edward was convinced that one day we would turn around and our son would have a permanent green line around his mouth. Edward would always smile back in those days. It had been months since I had seen his face light up like it had back then, his eyes crinkling at the sides, both of us so young and happy and carefree. The way it should be now. The divorce was hard. Neither one of us thought that our marriage would end, least of all like this.

We had been in love with each other right from the start, from the very first time that we laid eyes on each other. We both attended the same college but had never spoken to each other. I had seen him around and knew who he was, the god on legs, hottest guy around. All the girls fell head over heels for him, all of them with the exception of me... in the beginning. I had tripped over my own two left feet when he caught me, preventing the ground from becoming acquainted with my face. As soon as he touched me I could feel the electricity spark between us. He stood me up and looked straight into eyes. His green ones piercing my brown ones and from that moment on we were inseparable. Until now that is.

It was really a shock when he turned around and asked for a divorce. I still remember the day clearly in my mind. It was the day that the community was commemorating the one year anniversary of the bushfire that had started on the coast near where we lived. However our family remembers it as the day that we lost our little monster.

Cooper always liked to play the role of the protective older brother even though Emily was only three. He used to pretend to be the scary monster living in Emily's cupboard just so that he could come and save her from it. It was so that Emmy would always know that her brother was there to protect her. Edward and I would hear crashing coming from their room and would always go and stand at the door and watch the two of them. The lights would always be turned off and Emmy would always be hugging were teddy bear tight with her eyes tightly shut. Coop would burst out from the cupboard while Emmy's eyes were shut and walk over to her crib.

'Em? I'll stop the monsters okay.'

She would always just simply nod her head and then Coop would turn on his flashlight and show her that there was nothing there. Emily knew he was the monster in her cupboard but she would play along anyway. We would always laugh at him and we nicknamed him our little monster from that time on.

Waves of guilt swept over me. It was my fault that Cooper could no longer enjoy his ice-cream or win against his race with the sea or protect his sister from the dark. I wasn't even supposed to go into work that day but too many people had already called in sick and they needed me to come in. Edward was already working his shift at the hospital so I left Emmy at my mother's and took Coop to the local holiday child-care centre. Cooper's friends also attended the centre so I knew he wouldn't be alone. I thought he would have fun going on the picnic to Big Herron Lagoon which is what the centre had planned for the day. I never realised I would lose my little monster at a poorly supervised children's picnic.

How do you continue to live your own life knowing you have had to bury your own child long before he can even have a life? I stood up from the park bench and returned to my car and began to drive home, leaving behind me the lagoon that fell away suddenly in the middle. Where the water was a quieter, creamier green, where the fresh creek met the salty white sand of the ocean beach and where my son had drowned. You didn't continue on. Life just continues on without you.

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**Okay so what do you think?**

**I don't know whether or not I want to write a short prequel of sequel to this story. I will properly only do it if you guys love it enough to read it!**

**So please review and let me know**

**Jami :)**


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